Upcoming Dates
January 21, All School Service Day (volunteers needed to walk with us to the Fire Department)
January 27, Field trip to tree farm in Royal Oaks (volunteers needed)
Hello All,
The amazing weather has been quite a treat and we are using it to our fullest advantage as we conduct messy experiments, paint on our easel and study on our back patio. The warmth is allowing us to conduct some of the messier outdoor experiments usually scheduled for spring. In science this week we studied solutions and "non-Newtonian fluids" with our Ooze experiment. Ooze is the mixture created when cornstarch and water are combined at exactly the right consistency that it does not behave as a typical fluid. When pressed, patted, and quickly moved it takes on a solid shape. When left without an external force acting on it then it simply runs. Students enjoyed making their own batches of Ooze and adjusting their experiment when they added too much or not enough water. This experiment provided us with living examples of a solution, solubility, a mixture, and various consistencies. We were able to observe what happens as the corn starch went into solution and fell out of solution. This is a fun one to do at home in your yard. All you need is corn starch and water. Be sure to check out the pine cone bird feeders we made and hung on the back patio.
In math, students continue their studies of graphs and graphing by tallying information, reading pictographs, and answering comparative questions. They are being taught to underline the keywords "more than," "fewer than," "less than," and "altogether." They are required to indicate which operation accompanies these key words and then write a math sentence that answers the graph questions. Students are now creating their own graphs by gathering data and plotting it. Their first graph was built around how many letters were in their classmates names. Basic math calculations continue as students mentally problem solve larger values by holding the tens place while manipulating the ones place. The work we have been doing on daily calendar, throughout the year, comes into play as students require a strong foundation in place values and number bonds. Automaticity with basic math facts and number bonds within ten is a fundamental skill needed to efficiently move forward from this point. We encourage 5-10 minutes of nightly facts practice to supplement our classroom practice.
In language arts, students completed their most recent showcase piece titled "When I Grow Up I Want To..." with a required length of one page and four lines. It is amazing to see the way students are applying the strategies they have recently learned about spelling, penmanship, and editing. In our reading practice we are wrapping up our first 100 sight words and looking towards the second 200. This week we conducted word studies of the welded sounds ing,ang,ung, and ank using white boards and magnet letter tiles. We conducted preliminary introductions to the silent letter digraphs kn, gn, and sc using our reading rods texts. Our read aloud hit of the week was "Interrupting Chicken" which the students found quite humorous.
Social thinking and Toolbox training continue with activities geared toward the development of self-regulation, consideration for others, volume and tone of voice, and defeating the Unthinkables. The class' social/emotional learning curve is steep right now as they learn to take on the new responsibilities required at the middle of Grade 1. As with everything, this class works as a whole to achieve each new challenge.
Have a great weekend,
Grade 1 Team
January 21, All School Service Day (volunteers needed to walk with us to the Fire Department)
January 27, Field trip to tree farm in Royal Oaks (volunteers needed)
Hello All,
The amazing weather has been quite a treat and we are using it to our fullest advantage as we conduct messy experiments, paint on our easel and study on our back patio. The warmth is allowing us to conduct some of the messier outdoor experiments usually scheduled for spring. In science this week we studied solutions and "non-Newtonian fluids" with our Ooze experiment. Ooze is the mixture created when cornstarch and water are combined at exactly the right consistency that it does not behave as a typical fluid. When pressed, patted, and quickly moved it takes on a solid shape. When left without an external force acting on it then it simply runs. Students enjoyed making their own batches of Ooze and adjusting their experiment when they added too much or not enough water. This experiment provided us with living examples of a solution, solubility, a mixture, and various consistencies. We were able to observe what happens as the corn starch went into solution and fell out of solution. This is a fun one to do at home in your yard. All you need is corn starch and water. Be sure to check out the pine cone bird feeders we made and hung on the back patio.
In math, students continue their studies of graphs and graphing by tallying information, reading pictographs, and answering comparative questions. They are being taught to underline the keywords "more than," "fewer than," "less than," and "altogether." They are required to indicate which operation accompanies these key words and then write a math sentence that answers the graph questions. Students are now creating their own graphs by gathering data and plotting it. Their first graph was built around how many letters were in their classmates names. Basic math calculations continue as students mentally problem solve larger values by holding the tens place while manipulating the ones place. The work we have been doing on daily calendar, throughout the year, comes into play as students require a strong foundation in place values and number bonds. Automaticity with basic math facts and number bonds within ten is a fundamental skill needed to efficiently move forward from this point. We encourage 5-10 minutes of nightly facts practice to supplement our classroom practice.
In language arts, students completed their most recent showcase piece titled "When I Grow Up I Want To..." with a required length of one page and four lines. It is amazing to see the way students are applying the strategies they have recently learned about spelling, penmanship, and editing. In our reading practice we are wrapping up our first 100 sight words and looking towards the second 200. This week we conducted word studies of the welded sounds ing,ang,ung, and ank using white boards and magnet letter tiles. We conducted preliminary introductions to the silent letter digraphs kn, gn, and sc using our reading rods texts. Our read aloud hit of the week was "Interrupting Chicken" which the students found quite humorous.
Social thinking and Toolbox training continue with activities geared toward the development of self-regulation, consideration for others, volume and tone of voice, and defeating the Unthinkables. The class' social/emotional learning curve is steep right now as they learn to take on the new responsibilities required at the middle of Grade 1. As with everything, this class works as a whole to achieve each new challenge.
Have a great weekend,
Grade 1 Team